Lantern-holder



(No Model.)

W.;F. BRAINARD'. Lantern Holder.

Patented Dec., 2|, 1880.

N- PETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D. c.

I UNITED STATES PATENT @riucE.

l/VILBUR F. BRAINARD, OF BRISTOL, CONNECTICUT.

LANTERN-HO LDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 235,617, dated December 21, 1888,

Application filed September 13, 1880. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beitkn own that I, WILBUR F. BRAINARD, of Bristol, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lantern-Holders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates toimprovements in lantern-holders,in which aframe with curved sockets and spring-clasps is adapted to hold the lantern by direct application to the tubes of the lantern, and in which the frame is secured to the vehicle by means of a dovetailed socket specially adapted to receive and hold the frame; and the objects of my improvements are to provide a convenient and efficient holder for attachin g a lantern to vehicles which is very compact in form, and which can be produced at a small cost. lattain these objects bythe mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a front elevation of the holder with lantern attached. Fig. 2 ,is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 00 as of Fig. l Fig. 4, a front elevation without the lantern; and Fig. 5, a side elevation, also showing a different mechanism for attaching the holder to a vehicle or other object.

The holder is designed for that class of lanterns which are known as tubular lanterns.

A designates a short branchingframe, the lower ends of each branch being provided with a curved or semicircular socket, E, designed to receive and partially embrace the tubes B B upon the respective sides of the lantern. Each socket E is provided with a springclasp, a, for embracing the tubes and holding them firmly in the sockets E.

Although I prefer to have the sockets and clasps hold the lantern by embracing the upright portion of the tubes, it is evident that the sameform of socket and clasp may be made to embrace the horizontal portion of the tube at one or more points. I prefer to employ spring-clasps, as shown; but other clasps or devices may be employed, as, for instance, a bar or wedge extending across and in front of the tubes. The upper end of the frame should have some means for attaching it to a vehicle or other object, and I have shown in the drawings two different devices for so doing, either of which may be employed without changing the other parts of the holder. For attachment to vehicles it is preferable to have the lantern below the wagon-body.

The line 1), Figs. 1 and 2, indicate the under side of the wagon-body; and C designates an angle-piece, permanently secured to the wagonbody by screws or in any proper manner. The vertical arm of this angle-piece is provided with a dovetailed socket, D, upon one side, and the upper end or shank, c, of the frame A is dovetailed to fit said socket, the socket being so far down on the vertical arm of the angle piece as to enable the shank to be readily slipped into the socket.

If desired, a pin may be inserted'in the hole 0, Fig. l, or a screw, to prevent the frame from working up out of the socket, or a button or cam, may be employed for the same purpose, although I believe such fastening of the shank within the socket is unnecessary.

Several angle-pieces may be sold with one holder, and attached to different wagons, so that the lantern and holder may be attached to whichever one of them it may be desired to use. The holder, when made with the dove tailed shank, is very compact in form, and may be left upon the lantern at alltimes,if desired.

The other style of fastening mechanism is shown in Fig. 5, and requires no explanation. It may be attached to a wagon-reach, springbar, or any other convenientplace. It is also well adapted for attaching the lantern to the side of a boat for night use.

I am aware that for many years it has been quite common to detachably secure or connect lanterns to the under side of wagon-bodies by means of simple holders, such as strings, wires, hooks, and other simple devices. Also, that for several years lanterns have been used in Bristol, Connecticut, under wagon-bodies by detaohably connecting an ordinary harnesssnap, by means of screws, to the under side of the wagon-body, to which snap or holder the lantern was detachably connected in the ordinary manner of detach ably connecting articles to snap hooks. Also, that reissued Patent No. 7,544, March 6, 1877, for adjustable lamp-supports for vehicles, shows, in combination with a wagon-body, a pendent lantern-holder detachably connected thereto and a lantern detachably connected to the holder, which holder, if connected to the foot-rail on front end of an ordinary business-wagon, or to the front edge of a slanting or nearly horizontal dash, such as are common in many hacks, would be below the under side of a large portion of the body of such Wagon or hack and in combination therewith.

In View of the Well-known prior art, as hereinbefore set forth, I disclaim the combination, with the under side of a Wagon-body, of a pen dent lan tern-holder detaehably connected thereto and a lantern detaehably connected to the holder.

I claim as my invention--- 1. The curved socket and clasp of a lanternholder adapted for attachment to the lantern by embracin g the tubular portion, substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

2. The frame A, provided with curved sock- I WILBUR F. BRAINARD.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL P. NEWELL, EPAPHRO SEGK. 

